Limpopo police have arrested six suspects over the past weekend in Louis Trichardt and Thohoyandou believed to be involved in a human-trafficking syndicate.

According to a police report, the organised criminal syndicate, which includes five Ethiopian men and one Indian man, aged between 26 and 37 years, were arrested by Musina detectives on Saturday and rescued 47 Ethiopian men who were allegedly destined to be sold as slaves in the province.

The group of 47 men allegedly arrived sometime last week in Musina. They were smuggled out of the refugee centre under mysterious circumstances and taken to different “safe” houses in Louis Trichardt and Thohoyandou.

The syndicate’s illegal activities were uncovered on Saturday after a relative opened a kidnapping case.  The complainant told police that the group had been smuggled into the country and that five of his family members out of the 47 were allegedly being held against their will. He had been ordered to pay R10 000 for their release.

The police organised a sting operation through which the complainant was in contact with the syndicate members. This culminated in a meeting at a well-known car dealership in Louis Trichardt.  The complainant was in possession of the R10 000, which led to the arrest of two of the suspects and the rescue of the man's five family members.

After being questioned by the police, the suspects directed them to four other syndicate members who were in Golgotha, Thohoyandou. They were apprehended, after which they led the police to a house next to the University of Venda, where the remaining 42 victims were rescued.

The victims were found in good health and are currently being kept at a safe place, pending the outcome of the investigation.  The six suspects, all whom have businesses in Thohoyandou, are being investigated for additional links with similar activities in other countries.

Limpopo Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Simon Mpembe has lauded the police actions and reinforced the province’s resolve to fight any form of criminality. Mpembe said the organizers of these ventures were taking advantage of vulnerable people and putting their lives at risk. “We will not turn a blind eye to the exploitation of innocent people in our own backyard.  Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, and the law must show no mercy on these heartless criminals,” he said.

The six suspects appeared in the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Monday. They each face 47 charges of kidnapping. They were not asked to plead and their cases were postponed until 14 May, pending further police investigation. They remain in custody.